Joint submission to the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Climate Change and Human Rights for the report “Transforming food systems to protect human rights and prevent climate harm.” 

Food systems, climate, and human rights: Addressing patriarchal masculinities, structures and norms to advance care and justice

Food systems sit at the heart of the climate crisis, biodiversity loss, and global inequality. Transforming them is essential to protecting human rights and achieving global climate goals.

Yet many climate and food policies treat gender narrowly, focusing on women’s participation while overlooking how patriarchal structures and masculinity norms shape power, governance, land ownership, labour, food cultures, and economic systems.

This joint submission brings together insights from civil society organisations, researchers and grassroots actors from across the world. It examines how patriarchal masculinities shape food systems and how transforming these norms can open pathways toward care-centred, equitable and sustainable food systems.

Why this report matters

Food systems are shaped by systems of power.

Across the world, patriarchal norms influence who owns land, who controls resources, whose knowledge counts, and who participates in decision-making. These structures intersect with colonial legacies, extractive economic systems, and militarised governance models that prioritise profit and control over care, sustainability and justice.

Understanding these dynamics is essential if food system transformation is to deliver climate justice, gender equality and human rights.

Key insights

• Patriarchal masculinities shape food systems: From land ownership to political leadership, gendered power structures shape decisions about agriculture, fisheries, trade and climate policy.
• Extractive economic models undermine food sovereignty: Industrial agriculture, fossil-fuel intensive production, and corporate food systems deepen environmental harm and social inequality.
• Climate change is reshaping gender roles: Climate pressures are increasing economic stress and reshaping masculinities, while unpaid care burdens and food provision responsibilities fall disproportionately on women.
• Community-led solutions already exist: Grassroots initiatives demonstrate that food sovereignty, agroecology and collective governance can strengthen resilience, rights and equality.

Key recommendations

The report calls for governments and international institutions to:

• Engage men and boys as accountable actors in rights-based food and climate transformation.
• Address patriarchal masculinities as a structural driver of environmental harm and inequality.
• Ensure gender-transformative food system governance grounded in human rights and the right to development.
• Protect the rights to health and a clean, healthy environment, including regulating toxic agricultural inputs.
• Guarantee meaningful participation and access to justice in food and climate governance.
• Prevent gender-based violence and conflict-related harms affecting food systems.

Contributors

This submission was developed through a global consultation involving civil society organisations and researchers working at the intersection of climate justice, gender equality and food sovereignty.

Contributors include:

• Women Engage for a Common Future (WECF)
• MenEngage Global Alliance
• YouthNet Global (Bangladesh)
• Zambia Social Forum (ZAMSOF)
• Feminist Diplomacy Lab
• Civil society and academic contributors from multiple regions

Funding disclaimer